Final Fantasy XVI (Final Fantasy 16)
by FFJoeman93
Summary: Set four years after FFVIII, Squall and friends find themselves faced with their next huge task. After their fight with Ultimecia, the timeline was screwed up, and now the heroes must journey forward in time, to the far future, in order to face their next great battle. A future where Squall has mysteriously disappeared from the pages of history, and the origins of Ultimecia!
1. Chapter 1- A Timeless Visit

**FINAL FATASY XVI (FF16)**

 **Prologue**

 _As old worlds connect, new worlds are made_

 _Time is not always as it should be..._

 _Those that face time...always face time..._

 _Heroes create more heroes_

 _And villains create more villains_

 _Perhaps worlds should never collide at all_

 _This story..._

 _It is one that was never meant to exist_

 _Their struggle with the currents of time, their struggle with the power of magic_

 _And their struggle with themselves_

 _All is to be said in time..._

 **Chapter 1- A Timeless Visit**

"Wake up sleepy head!" Rinoa shouted as she threw a pillow straight at Squall's face. This did nothing more to Squall however, than making him roll over and mumble something unintelligible. Rinoa groaned and walked over to the bed. She knelt onto it and smacked Squall on the back of the head, startling him awake. Squall sat up and looked around in a daze, finaly resting his vision onto Rinoa.

"What the hell was that for?" Squall mumbled as she rubbed his head.

" _That_ is for sleeping in so late! We've only got twenty minutes before everyone leaves for the train!" Rinoa yelled as she continued getting ready. Squall sighed and slid himself out of bed as well.

"I don't really think this whole festival thing is neccesary..." Squall muttered in his usual uninterested tone. Rinoa quickly glanced at him with an angry look. Squall knew what this look meant...and it meant trouble for him if he didn't start getting ready right now.

"You know, for a guy that has a whole festival dedicated to him, you still somehow manage to be a sourpuss. I guess I'll just never get that." Rinoa said as she finished the last adornment on her light blue dress.

"I just don't see the point..." Squall responded. He began thinking to himself. _I_ _really can't understand why people would celebrate me. Sure I led SeeD and well...the rest of the world to victory against Ultimecia but realistically that doesn't make me all that special does it? Surely plenty of other people could've done that same thing...so why should I be celebrated just because I'm the one that actually did it._

"Squall!" Rinoa shouted, snapping Squall from his thoughts, "You're doing it again, aren't you?"

Squall crossed his arms and averted her gaze. _Doing what?_ He thought. Suddenly he found himself hit in the head with a pillow once more.

"That! That right there!" She shouted again, "You drown out the rest of the world and think to yourself about everything!"

"I...I wouldn't say everything..." Squall responded. _Seriously, I don't do it that often..._

Another pillow hit him, "Squaaaallllll!" Rinoa whined.

"Uh...sorry. I guess I was just..." Squall started, but was interrupted by Rinoa leaning on him, nearly knocking him over...though that did seem her intent. _Guess it's a good thing I'm bigger..._

"C'mon Squall, if you can't tell me what's in that busy busy head of yours, who _can_ you tell?" Rinoa said with a tone in her voice that sounded a bit...sad. Squall embraced her, realizing that he may have accidentally hurt her feelings.

"I guess you're right. Okay, I'll tell you whenever something is on my mind, alright?" Squall said in an attempt to comfort her. Rinoa looked up into his eyes and nodded. She then placed a small peck on his nose before bopping him on the forehead.

"Okay. Two minutes left!" She said with a giggle. Squall's eyes widened. _Did THAT much time pass? Dammit! Gotta get ready I guess..._

A few minutes later, Squall and Rinoa wound up outside Balamb Garden heading towards a crowd of people. _Geez, I guess they're all here..._ Squall thought to himself. A familiar voice then interrupted Squall's thoughts.

"Heeeeeeyyy!" Selphie shouted. _Sheesh, you'd think the past four years would've made her quieter. Guess not..._

"Yo, Squall! Rinoa!" Zell called out to them. _Seriously Zell? We can already see you...and hell even if we couldn't, Selphie definitely made sure we could hear you..._ Rinoa let out a very dissatisfied sounding growl. Squall knew she had noticed his overthinking to himself again.

"Sorry..." He muttered. Rinoa simply sighed and smiled at him as if telling him she knew he couldn't help it so easily and forgave him. Rinoa then broke the grip she had on Squall's arm on the way there and ran over to greet the others. Rinoa made rounds hugging them all, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, Irvine, Cid, Edea, and even Seifer, though clearly Seifer wan't expecting it as it nearly knocked him over.

"Long time no see guys!" Rinoa said happily.

"Yeah, heck it's been a year already hasn't it?" Zell answered, "Guess we were just busy."

 _What could you be so busy with? Maybe he ran out of kid games to play and has to spend all his time inventing some now...he probably has a lot of help from Selphie in that department._

Rinoa elbowed Squall in the ribs, causing him to grunt and hunch over in pain.

"Right! So let's get going, huh guys!" Rinoa said happily, dragging a very sore Squall with her.

An hour later, the group made their way to Deling City, where the festival was to take place. There were many festivities all over, which many members of their group enjoyed participating in. Cid excused himself from them all to make his way to a stage in the center of it all. Everything grew silent as Cid made his way to the microphone. As Irvine struggled to direct Selphie's attention to the stage and quiet her, Cid began to speak.

"Welcome one and all to the third annual Leonhart Festival! As you all are surely well aware by now, this festival is held every year in honor of the brave man who, along with his faithful companions, stopped the evil sorceress Ultimecia from destroying us all four years ago! Now let's hear a round of applause for Squall and his friends!"

Cid's speech was followed by a massive wave of applause and cheers. The group could hear people chanting each of their names. Squall was rather irritated at the loud noise, but he felt something welling up from inside, something that forced a small smile to overtake his usual scowl. Rinoa looked up at him and giggled.

"Finally starting to like this, huh?" She asked. Squall quickly caught himself and removed the smile from his face, feeling a little embarrassed.

"...Whatever." He muttered. Just then, all went silent. Squall looked around him to see that everything was frozen. No one was moving, almost as if time had stopped.

 _What the hell? No way..._

Just as soon as quickly as that had happened, another anomly appeared. A person appeared in front of him. It was a man, but a strange looking one. He was pale with white hair and blue eyes and he wore a loose fitting white shirt and grey jeans. Squall was about to question the man when he spoke.

"So, you're Squall. It's nice to finally meet you in person." The strange pale man said.

"Who the hell are you!?" Squall asked quickly, "And what did you do!? This isn't...Time Magic?"

The man nodded, "Well, it's close enough I guess. Not exactly Time Magic, more like I just simply stopped the flow of time here altogether. Time...does not affect me." he said with an elegant voice that sounded as smooth and light as the wind.

 _Is this guy for real? I must be dreaming..._

The man smiled, "Oh I assure you, you're very much awake." He said.

Squall's eyes widened and his jaw gaped. _Did he just...read my mind!?_ The man simply nodded, as if he had just done it again.

"Don't worry." The man started, "I'm not here to hurt you or you're friends. In fact, I need your help, or rather...someone else does. Though he doesn't know it yet. I have a lot to explain to you."

Squall couldn't believe what was going on, nor did he want to. After all he and his friends had gone through four years ago with Ultimecia, he didn't want anything else like this to happen. He just wanted to live life quietly and peacefully now. This couldn't mean anything good.

"Well?" Squall started, "What do you want?"

The man smiled at him, "As I said, I have a lot to explain to you...first off, I'll introduce myself. It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Shinra."


	2. Chapter 2- Revelations

**Chapter 2- Revelations**

 **Now just so you all know, this fanfic is going to be a small part of a larger, much more complicated series of fanfics spanning across multiple FF games, so if you don't understand what's going on just yet, that's okay. I'll explain in each fic what is neccesary to know in order to follow the story, and if you're interested in reading the others, then you'll come to understand the overarching story across all of them about the Void, the Negative Worlds, so on and so forth. So with that said, relax and enjoy, all will be explained in due time :)**

"Okay, I'm listening." Squall said.

Shinra nodded and spoke, "And I thank you for that, I'm sure this is all quite startling for you. But you will understand everything in due time."

Shinra sat on a nearby bench and patted the spot next to him as if beckoning Squall to sit. _Guess I may as well_ he thought. Squall meandered over to the bench and took a seat next to the strange man.

"First off, you need to know something. Your world is not the only one in existence." Shinra began. Squall shot Shinra a very confused look. _What the hell does he mean by that? I mean sure, maybe there's other planets out there or something but what does that matter?_

"My, that _is_ quite annoying, I can see why Rinoa hates it so much." Shinra said with a smile. _What's annoying?_

"That." Shinra said simply. Squall grew annoyed. Clearly the man was reading his mind again...however he was doing that. Squall didn't like it. Before Squall could say anything though, this mystery man continued talking.

"In fact, there are fourteen other ones. Yours is the eight that we created." Shinra explained. This drew an even more confused expression from Squall and he stood up quickly.

" _You_ created!? What do you mean _you_ created!?" Squall shouted. Shinra sighed and patted the seat next to him once more. Squall shook his head in refusal. He had no idea who this man was, but clearly he was powerful, and now it sounded as if he...created this world? Impossible.

"Please allow me to continue explaining. I am not of this world. In fact, I'm from the world that created this one. I am from a place known as the Void." Shinra continued. _Not of this world? The Void? What the hell is that?_

"Well, if you just listen, I'll explain." Shinra said, clearly reading Squall's mind once more. Squall was about done with that.

"Will you please stop doing that..." Squall muttered in annoyance. Shinra shook his head and laughed. _What's so funny about that?_

"I'm not doing it on purpose, Squall. I just hear your voice no matter where it sounds, even if it's in your head. Naturally of course, I _did_ create you, so I should be able to hear you like that." Shinra said in an almost mocking tone.

"What...do you mean by that?" Squall asked. Shinra composed himself and nodded.

"Right. I suppose we haven't much time. As I said, I come from a world know as the Void. The Void is responsible for creating your world, along with all of the other. I myself was one of the leads in doing so. I know all about you and your friends, and indeed this entire world, along with all of the others for that matter. You wouldn't remember this, but you've actually met many of the residents of these worlds, but I suppose that's a conversation for a later time." Shinra explained. _Met people from other worlds? I'll remember that..._

"Continuing on..." Shinra continued, "I can tell you more about myself and the Void later, but right now we need to talk about a much more pressing matter. You see, with all that happened here, and the timeline being messed with so much you have...accidentally created another world."

"What the hell are you talking about? How did I create a world?" Squall questioned.

"Well, picture your world as a tree. Now this tree has many different branches, thus representing seperate timelines. When you and your friends faced Ultimecia, the distortions in time sent ripples throughout the rest of the tree and made one of those timelines impossible, and so it broke off of the tree. However, what we did not predict is that the branch somehow took root and created a whole new tree, created from your world, and therefore connected, but it's own world altogether. Do you understand?"

"I'm...trying to..." Squall muttered as he sat down once more, trying to wrap his head around this sudden dilemma. "So what you're saying is, in our struggle against Ultimecia, we ended up screwing up another timeline, which caused it to become its own world?"

"Yes, exactly."

"But how? How did we do that? And how did it become a whole new world through that?" Squall continued to ask. He was met with a simple smile from Shinra and a nervous laugh. _I've got a bad feeling about this._

"Well, uh...we're still figuring that out." Shinra responded. _Knew it. Of course they don't know, can't be that simple can it..._

"Okay, so where do I come in?" Squall asked.

"Right. See, this world is still new, and so we're not quite sure who its hero is yet. That being considered, we've decided it would be best for you to go there."

"What!? Why does someone need to go there, and why me?"

"Well, someone needs to go there in case the hero isn't strong enough to defeat his villain, who's identity is also unknown. And so we're sending a proven hero, you, to that time in order to help out, just in case. See where as this world was never meant to exist, that doesn't mean it should be destroyed. I'd like to protect it, just like all of the other worlds. We can consider it a...sixteenth world."

Squall didn't know how to respond to that. He figured he was done fighting people across time, and done being a 'hero'. He knew he didn't want to do this, but at the same time...it did sound like they needed help.

"You say it's going to be destroyed? How?" Squall asked. Shinra stood up, and began pacing back and forth in front of Squall as he began to speak once more.

"Well you see, every world has a villain. Someone who ultimately seeks to destroy the world, or alter it in some terrible way. And each world has a hero, the one who puts a stop to the villains nefarious deeds. From this world, the eighth world, you Squall are the hero, and Ultimecia was the villain. Just as your roles demand, she attempted to harm the world, and you put a stop to her."

"I see...and you don't know who the hero of this new world is yet?"

Shinra shook his head and sighed, "That's correct." He muttered, "That's why we want to send you there. You have proven yourself here, and so you would be an invaluable ally to the hero in World 16, especially if he or she isn't strong enough to win on his or her own yet. See where as the hero is always supposed to win, this world is still new, so we're not entirely sure what might happen. Consider yourself...insurance." _Great, so I'm some sort of superhero now..._

Shinra continued, "I know this is a lot to take in all at once, and I'm sure you have many questions, but for the sake of this new world, I urge you to please keep the questions minimal and prepare yourself for this mission."

Squall sighed deeply and spoke, "Fine. I guess I'll do what I have to. I don't want to, but if this world will really be destroyed if I don't, then I'll do it. But I don't see why you can't, aren't you supposed to be some sort of all-powerful creator?"

Shinra chuckled, "I wouldn't say all-powerful. More powerful than you, yes, but where I come from, I'm not some sort of super soldier or anything. And we would intervene but well...we've tried that before and let's just say it didn't work out well."

With no choice left, Squall sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Of course your friends will be going too, so be sure to pass along the information!" Shinra said with a smile before dissapearing into thin air, as time began flowing once more.

"Wait! What do you mean by that!? Shinra!" Squall yelled.

"Um...Squall? Who are you yelling at?" Rinoa questioned. Squall simply sighed and sat once more, rubbing his temples. Rinoa sat next to him and placed a hand on his back.

"You feeling okay?" She asked. Squall nodded, but said nothing. Rinoa, unconvinced, took him by the hand and pulled him over towards the festivities in an attempt to cheer him up. She didn't know what was wrong, but there was time for that later, right now was fun time.

 _How am I supposed to tell them all of this? I mean...did that even happen? Maybe I'm going crazy...No...no that definitely happened. But...I don't want to endanger them all again. What do I do?_

Squall's inner thoughts were halted by Rinoa jabbing him in the side, "What did I say about your inner monologuing?" She asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Squall nodded and continued focusing on the game he had been dragged to. However, his thoughts still found there way back to Shinra and this other world.

 _Guess my worries aren't over after all...whatever, I hope we can just end this quickly..._


	3. Chapter 3- A Dark Glimpse

**Chapter 3- A Dark Glimpse**

 **And now for a glimpse into the sixteenth world...Don't worry about some of the terminology like FATE. When Squall gets there, he's not going to understand it either and is gonna need it to be explained as well.**

"Ritsu! Get back here!" The headmaster yelled. Ritsu, a boy sixteen years of age with roughly shoulder length messy brown hair completed with two red streaks and light brown eyes, had stolen the headmaster's most prized possession, a gunblade from the age of Ultimecia, from his office and was now sprinting down the hallways of Balamb Garden. Ritsu was never the largest boy in his classes, he was only about 5'4 but he made up for it by being quick and smart.

"Not a chance, old man!" Ritsu yelled back. This was his shot to really hit him hard. Headmaster Atlow was always so terrible to him and his friends. Hell he was a terrible person to everyone in the world even. Making Garden training necessary for everyone, establishing FATE, and even worse, sending him to FATE three times already. He was probably going back for this, but if he could really hurt Atlow with this, then it didn't matter.

Ritsu purposely dragged the blade on the ground as he ran, scratching and denting it, much to Atlow's horror. Ritsu ran out into the courtyard where he was greeted by Atlow's personal SeeD operatives covering all potential escape routes. _Damn_ Ritsu thought to himself. _Now what? Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide...fine Atlow, you wanna play that game? Then let's play._

Atlow caught up to Ritsu and entered the courtyard, "End of the line you little brat!" he yelled.

"Guess it is...oh well." Ritsu said. Without a moments notice, Ritsu slammed the side of the gunblade against the nearby fountain, denting it heavily, and then threw it into the water, "Woops!" Ritsu said with a smile.

"NOOO!" Atlow screamed as he saw his formerly flawless possession dissapear beneath the water, sinking deep into the massive structure.

"You little pest!" Atlow yelled, "Men! Grab the boy and bring him to my office, NOW!"

The SeeD operatives nodded and closed in on Ritsu. He did his best to avoid them, but there were too many for him to handle and he was caught. Ritsu was dragged, kicking and screaming, up to Atlow's office where the tall blonde man awaited. Atlow was an intimidating man. He stood tall at 6'4 and was very muscular. To top things off, he had an 'X' shaped scar on the bridge of his nose between his dark blue eyes. Ritsu was forcefully sat into a chair.

"Leave us be." Atlow said menacingly to the operatives, who quickly obeyed, exiting the room and leaving Ritsu alone with Atlow.

"What're you gonna do now huh? Send me back to FATE? Pfft! I'll just escape again..." Ritsu said in a cocky attitude. Atlow didn't respond. He slowly stepped over to his desk, situated at the opposite end of the room from where Ritsu was sitting.

"You're going back to FATE to be sure, Ritsu, but first...you need discipline." Atlow said in a low growling voice. Atlow opened a drawer on the desk and reached into it, pulling out a black glove. Ritsu's expression turned from one of smugness to one of concern as he noticed it was no normal glove. The black glove was adorned with silver spiked studs.

"Um...Atlow, what the heck is that?" Ritsu asked, now a bit worried.

"Silence boy!" Atlow yelled. He then slipped the glove onto his left hand and began walking towards Ritsu. Ritsu gulped and shrunk in his seat.

"Someone will find out...someone will stop you..." Ritsu muttered. Atlow chuckled as he stepped directly in front of Ritsu.

"Maybe. Too bad you won't be around to see when that happens..." Atlow said.

Ritsu watched in horror as Atlow brought his arm up above his head and in one swift motion, brought it crashing down upon Ritsu's right cheek. Ritsu was struck hard enough to fling him from the chair and onto the floor. He laid there, groaning in agony as he felt blood trickle from his nose. He could taste the blood in his throat, and felt the sharp sting on his face. Dazed and in agonizing pain, Ritsu backed himself into a wall.

Atlow wasn't finished however. Before Ritsu could say or do anything, he was struck once more on the opposite cheek, sending him straight to the floor once more. Ritsu yelped in pain and choked on the blood in his throat. His vision went white and he heard a loud ringing in his ears. He tried to sit himself up, only to meet another blow from Atlow's gigant fist. That was it, Ritsu had no strength left in his body and he collapsed to the ground.

"Oh no, no, no...we're not done yet..." Atlow said as Ritsu heard the sound of Atlow's boots hitting the floor coming towards him.

"Atlow..." Ritsu muttered weakly, "Please...no more..."

Atlow clearly ignored him. Ritsu felt himself being grabbed by the collar of his shirt and lifted up off of the ground by Atlow's powerful hand.

"You look pathetic..." Atlow said. He followed with another swift strike to the front of Ritsu's face, causing him to lose consciousness.

"No one is going to save you Ritsu. And no one is going to stop me. This world will know strength, and it will lose it's weakness. And you Ritsu...are weak." Atlow said as he made his way back to his desk and called the SeeD to drag Ritsu away.

Ritsu was sent back to FATE soon after, a terrible organization where students that failed their classes at the Gardens were sent to. Once at FATE, students were trained under far harsher conditions, comparable to, and sometimes including torture. It was a terrible place, and was ran by the cruelest of the cruel. Once at FATE, students had two choices: prove themselves by the end of the year and graduate, then be sent back to Garden, or fail and continue dealing with the torturous training regiments that were commonplace at FATE. Most who wound up in FATE ended up dying due to the harsh and inhumane conditions as well as the lack of medical technology. This was the world Ritsu lived in. In this world all living people were required to attend a Garden and undergo training, but not everyone was fit to do so, and so many people ended up at and died in FATE. Ritsu on the other hand was talented. He had graduated from FATE twice before, and escaped once. He was good enough to graduate from a Garden, but never put the effort in to do so. Why did he always go back to FATE? Only Ritsu knew why he refused to put in the effort to stay in Garden.

A few days later, a recovering Ritsu was in the middle of one of FATE's required regiments, a grueling activity that involved the students pushing their bodies beyond their limitations through exercises far too strict and dangerous for normal people. Due to his recovering injuries he was exhausted, but due to the uncaring nature of those that ran FATE, Ritsu was forced to do just as much as the rest of the students sent there. As Ritsu worked, he heard the scream of a girl not too far away. Ritsu didn't think or hesitate and immediately ran towards it.

"Hey boy! Get back here!" A FATE instructor yelled at him, but Ritsu was never the greatest at listening, especially to the heartless fiends that ran FATE.

Ritsu arrived at the spot where he heard the scream and found a young chocolate haired girl laying on the ground holding the side of her face, and a large male FATE instructor walking towards her.

"What'd you call me!?" The man said. The girl on the ground looked at him furiously, and smirked at him.

"I said you're a pathetic creep!" She yelled back. Whoa _did she just do that? She knows she's gonna get hurt for that, right!?_

"Oh, you're gonna regret that, you little bitch." The man said as he moved towards her. Ritsu however, jumped in the way and stood between them.

"Leave her alone, jackass!" Ritsu yelled.

"Who the hell do you think you are!? You think you're tough, little boy?" The man mocked.

"Heh! Tougher than you! Is beatin up girls what gets you off!? Your mother would be ashamed! That is if a gorilla like you _has_ a human mother!" Ritsu yelled back with a smirk.

The man wasted no time and angrily flung his fist in Ritsu's direction. Ritsu, being quick and smart as he was, ducked and used the velocity of the man's punch along with his own weight against him and flipped the man over him, slamming him to the ground. By now other FATE instructors had turned their attention to the situation. Before Ritsu could do much else, he was mercilessly shot in the shoulder by another instructor and flew to the ground. The man got back up.

"Ha! Not so tough now, are ya little punk!" He shouted at Ritsu before proceeding to kick him in the ribs twice.

"Enough! Leave him alone asshole!" The brunette girl screamed. The man simply scoffed at them and turned away.

"You better watch your mouth next time, missy! And he better be up and back to his duties within the hour, or he gets disposed of." The man said as he walked away. The girl then quickly crawled over to Ritsu, and began tending to his wound. She helped Ritsu sit up a bit and he got a better look at her. She was beautiful, though clearly damaged as well. She had a lighter skin tone than him, albeit he wasn't exactly tan either. She had deep, dark green eyes and her slightly wavy dark brown hair fell just below her shoulders. Her face seemed to once have had soft and perfect skin, but was now covered in bruises and scrapes, a common sight in FATE. To top it all off she was smaller, more petite. Ritsu wasn't a big guy but she was a good couple inches shorter than him, probably no more than 5'1 tops. All the more reason for Ritsu to defend her...and yet, the attitude she showed towards that FATE instructor made Ritsu question whether or not he really needed to.

"You really don't need to..." Ritsu muttered weakly. The girl shook her head and smiled.

"Oh shut up." She said, "Just let me take care of you. You were the idiot that really didn't need to... I mean you could have been killed..."

"Yea..." Ritsu said. He sat for another minute as the girl pried the bullet out before proceeding to clean it the best she could. Afterwards she tore a strip from the thick pink sweater she was wearing and wrapped it around his wound. Ritsu found himself chuckling after a minute.

The girl tilted her head, "What's so funny?" she asked.

"Oh nothing...I guess I just never learn. This isn't exactly the first time I've gotten injured here. Are you okay though?" He asked her. The girl nodded and finished patching up Ritsu's shoulder.

"I'm fine. I really can't thank you enough for that, even if you _were_ being an idiot. What's your name?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm Ritsu, Ritsu Heartilly." Ritsu said with a dorky smile as he placed his hands up behind his head.

The girl smiled, "I see, well thanks Ritsu...that really meant a lot to me. I'm Arisa."

"Arisa huh? That's a pretty name. Guessing your mom picked it out?" Ritsu asked. He didn't really care all that much, but he wanted to try and change the subject so he could try to cheer her up. After all, where as she may have been okay physically, no one was okay emotionally here at FATE.

"I don't really know, at least not my real parents. I was adopted when I was a baby and raised by a different couple. But yea, I like my name. Of course I like Ritsu too, it's cute." Arisa said, now helping Ritsu back up.

"Yea I think...Hey! Wait a minute, whatya mean cute!?" Ritsu asked, feeling his pride get crushed. Arisa simply giggled and patted Ritsu on the head.

"Exactly what I said, it's cute." She said as she turned and began walking away. Ritsu followed, refusing to let the conversation end like that.

"Hey! I save you like that, and you call me cute? That's insulting..." Ritsu said with a pout as he crossed his arms. Arisa merely giggled again. _What's so damn funny!?_ Ritsu thought.

"Are you...pouting?" Arisa asked playfully. Ritsu was caught off guard. His body moved in a way to gesture that he was about to say something in his defense, but nothing came to mind for him at the moment.

Arisa giggled once more and spoke, "My, you're not just cute, your outright adorable!" Clearly she was teasing him, but at the same time Ritsu didn't mind. After all, for her to still be able to laugh in a place like this...was amazing to say the least.

"Well anyway...you sure had guts to mouth off to a FATE instructor like that. And hell, twice even!" Ritsu exclaimed. Arisa simply shrugged as she continued walking.

"Eh. What can I say, I'm not the best at keeping my mouth shut or taking orders, least of all from these jerkwads." She said with a devious smile. Ritsu sure did know a thing or two about having a big mouth... _That's what always gets me in so much trouble too._

"Yea...I guess I'm the same way. I don't know, I just think jackasses like that deserves to know what I really think of em." Ritsu responded.

Arisa nodded in agreement, "Well they deserve a whole lot more than that, but I figure if that's all I can do, then I'll at least do that. Even if I make a single day rotten for just one of them...I consider it a win."

Ritsu was beginning to like her. She thought the same way he did in many ways. After all, he knew he would get sent back to FATE and pay for what he did to Atlow's gunblade, but he figured it was worth it to mess even a single day up for that guy. Atlow after all, was the one who established FATE in the first place and made Garden mandatory for everyone. It was Atlow's goal to create a world where every single person was at the exact same power level, and kill anyone who had a talent for magic. He used the Gardens as a means to that goal. He disguised it by saying it was in order to ensure someone like Ultimecia never happens again, but Ritsu believed he had other plans as well.

Ritsu sighed, leading Arisa to question what was wrong with him. "It kinda sucks. You know...all of this." Ritsu said as he brought his hands behind his head again, wincing a bit at his shoulder wound. Arisa sighed and nodded.

"Yea...it's too bad people were so scared after that whole Ultimecia incident. After that, everyone feared someone might get strong enough to do it again..." Arisa added.

"I get that, honestly, but making everyone go through the same training at Garden in order to keep everyone at the same power level? That's just insane..." Ritsu continued.

"Well so is killing anyone that so much as touched magic. Sure the Sorceresses were bad news, but wiping out anyone that would ever use magic again? That's just too much...I can't believe people agreed to that..." Arisa said as she lowered her head.

"It wasn't all their fault." Ritsu started, a clear tone of malice and hatred in his voice, "It was Atlow. He was the one that brainwashed everyone into thinking this was right. He was the one that made them believe this would keep them safe...it's all...his fault!" Ritsu found himself shouting and hitting a wall with his fist. Arisa stopped walking and looked at him. Ritsu composed himself and was about to apologize for losing his temper like that, but was interrupted by Arisa embracing him in a hug. Ritsu was a bit caught off guard by this, but hugged her back, albeit confused. _Huh...she smells good..._

"I know. It's terrible. But the best thing we can do is just keep going. If we lose ourselves to hatred and resent, then how can we ever find ourselves again? Please Ritsu...don't lose yourself like that..." Arisa said in a quieted and calm voice. Just the way she said it made Ritsu less tense. Her voice was soft and calming. Her words were true however, and he nodded.

"Yea. You're right. Sorry about that Arisa." Ritsu said. He followed it with another smile. Arisa clearly found his smile contagious, as she couldn't help but feel the need to chuckle and smile as well.

"Right, well I better get back to class...if that's what people are calling it these days. I'll see you later?" Arisa asked.

Ritsu nodded, "Yea, definitely. I gotta say, you're a lot better company than these creeps anyway."

Arisa nodded and leaned over towards him. Ritsu was confused as to what she was doing until he felt her lips press to his cheek. Ritsu was never one to go out of his way to talk to girls much, so he blushed a bit at that. Arisa smiled once more and walked off elsewhere into the building. Bright red in the cheeks and smiling a dorky smile once more, Ritsu held his cheek where Arisa had kissed him. _Well...I guess FATE can't be all bad._


	4. Chapter 4- The Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter 4- The Calm Before The Storm**

"And that's pretty much the whole story..." Squall said. He looked out at the small audience of his now very confused friends. _I knew they wouldn't believe me. Hell, I barely believe myself..._

"So... we're supposed to go to another world...which is kinda our world...because a strange guy who stopped time said so...because he created our world...is that right" Zell said, piecing together everything Squall said.

"Heh! Sounds like somebody must've stayed up a bit too late at that festival last night!" Seifer spouted mockingly. Squall scowled at him. _I don't see why Seifer had to invite himself to this...I'd really rather he wasn't here, especially if he's gonna act like that._

Rinoa punched Seifer in the arm, clearly sending the message for him to shut up.

"I know it sounds crazy..." Squall started, but was quickly interrupted.

"Crazy? It sounds way more than just crazy!" Selphie shouted. Rinoa frowned and stood up from her seat with the others and made her way in front of them next to Squall.

"C'mon guys, you really think Squall is lying, or just randomly lost his mind? I don't think so. I believe him." She said, ever supporting him. Quistis was the next to chime in.

"Indeed. I agree. Squall is still just as sane as he was four years ago, and he's not one to lie. The only other option left to consider, is that what is says is completely true." Said the former SeeD instructor. Quistis's sound words resonated clearly and cleanly with the others, convincing most of them to believe him. Most...except for Seifer.

"Aw come on! You really expect me to believe this crap!?" Seifer sounded with his usual cocky and oppressive voice, "I mean really? Some guy just shows up out of the blue and wants us all to travel through time to some other world and save it? What do you guys think this is, some sort of drama movie? Or maybe a cheesy book?"

"Oh shove it, Seifer. No one cares about your opinion anyway. You're just here because you wanted to be, not because anyone else did." Rinoa retorted.

"The lady is right." Irvine agreed, "Seifer's thoughts hereby don't matter.

Seifer was about to argue, but Squall was first to speak, "Good. Thanks for believing me about all of this, guys. I'll admit, I wasn't going to say anything at first because I didn't want to involve any of you in this sort of thing all over again, but well..." Rinoa was next to speak.

"But you knew you wouldn't be able to hide it from me, and if I found out you knew I'd tell the others. So basically you were just saving yourself the effort, right?" Rinoa said happily. Squall sighed. _Yea...that's pretty much it actually. Can't get anything past her, can I?_

"No, I suppose not." A voice said from behind them all. The group turned to see Shinra, though only Squall recognized him.

Shinra simply smiled and walked to where Squall was as well. Quistis, perceptive as she was, noticed the look on Squall's face as well as this strange man seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"You...must be this Shinra we've been hearing about." Quistis guessed. Shinra nodded and smiled at her.

"Yes, yes I am. Impressive Quistis, such a shame you were shafted so thoroughly, you really are quite an interesting woman." Shinra said. Quistis's face contorted into a confused look.

"Um...excuse me? What exactly was that supposed to mean?" Quistis asked.

What Shinra said next caught everyone off guard and left them all in disbelief that he would say something like that, but the worst part...was that Shinra seemed so genuine and sincere as he said it, as if he had no idea. "Well by Squall I mean. It was fairly obvious that you were so interested in him that it probably took every inch of strength you had in your body not to tie him up with your whip and have your way with him over and over again. Such a shame because you truly are a smart and attractive woman."

Shinra smiled an honest smile and the room went silent. Quistis turned bright red and her eyes and jaw gaped widely.

Squall too was thoroughly surprised at Shinra's words. _Did he...really just say that? Did he...not even realize how inappropriate and insulting that was?_

Shinra turned towards Squall again and tilted his head in question, "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" he said. _How in the living hell did he not realize that was wrong?_

"Right, well if the only one that's going to respond is Squall's rather annoying inner voice, then I suppose I'll get on with why I'm here." Shinra said. Quistis contemplated interjecting, but decided against it, fearing any more embarrassment.

"I'm here to bring you all to the world Squall was speaking of. Obviously I'll give you all time to prepare, but I would ask you to be as quick as you can." Shinra continued. Seifer stood up quickly and walked straight up to Shinra.

"Oh yea? And how do we know you really are what you say you are huh? What proof do you have that you're some sort of great creator!?" Seifer yelled in Shinra's face. Most people probably would have stepped back, or at least flinched at Seifer's intimidating presence and harsh words. He was, after all, not a small man, and the scar didn't help his image at all. Shinra, however, didn't budge. He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. Shinra's usual calm, polite, and carefree demeanor changed. It morphed into something serious and...almost terrifying.

"Is that right Seifer? Keep in mind, you idiot, I have the power to completely and utterly destroy you." Shinra said as he began taking steps towards Seifer. Seifer felt something very wrong about this, and without quite realizing what he was doing, began stepping back as Shinra continued speaking.

"We made you, all of you, so don't think for one second I don't have to ability to undo it at the drop of a hat." Seifer stumbled over something on the ground, and fell backwards into a seat. Shinra leaned over him, bringing his face only inches from Seifer's.

"But you know what? I think all of you are worth more than that. I think all of you are worth saving and protecting, so you think maybe you can show a little gratitude? You want proof, Seifer? Here's proof." Shinra said intimidatingly. At that, Shinra's serious demeanor was immediately wiped away and a smile replaced it. Shinra waved his hands in front of Seifer's face, and just like that, Seifer's mouth simply dissapeared.

"There. I like you better like that anyway." Shinra said with a smile. The others looked on, part in fear, and part in amusement. After all, Seifer couldn't talk now. _Maybe this is for the best..._ Squall thought.

"I agree." Shinra said, annoying Squall once more with his ability to hear all Squall said.

"Now, as I was saying, I'd appreciate it if all of you would prepare. You need to be ready to help this world to the best of your ability." Shinra said. The others nodded and went their separate ways to get ready. Seifer on the other hand, was freaking out at his lack of mouth. Shinra simply smiled at him, clearly amused by Seifer's reaction.

"Now now, Seifer, I'll give it back once you all are on your way. I won't be there for you to bother me then." Shinra said.

Squall went off with Rinoa, given that they share a room now. They didn't say much as they went through the halls back towards their room. As soon as they got inside though, Rinoa cracked up. She laughed so hard she immediately fell to the ground.

"Did you see the look on Seifer's face!? Priceless!" Rinoa struggled to say between gasps of breath. Even Squall couldn't help but crack a small smile. Seifer may not be an evil jerk anymore, but Squall still couldn't honestly say he liked him, and so seeing what Shinra did to him was amusing even for him.

As Rinoa's laughter died down, her expression slowly melted down into concern.

"Squall..." She started, "We're gonna be okay, right? I mean we took down Ultimecia, so this is nothing...right?"

Squall could see that Rinoa was worried. He sat next to her, still on the floor, and wrapped his arms around her. Rinoa tucked into him, feeling safe as always in his arms. _She's scared. I guess I don't blame her._

"It'll be alright, Rinoa. I promise." Squall said reassuringly.

About an hour later, the group finally gathered together to meet with Shinra. Seifer hadn't left his spot. He had tried threatening Shinra, hurting him, asking nicely, and even begging, but Shinra was merciless. He really was intent on letting Seifer wait until they left.

"Good, you're all here." Shinra said. "I suppose I've said all that needs to be said. With nothing left, I'll take you to the sixteenth world, which is now an alternate future of your own world."

"Wait, so how come it's the future there, but only the present here?" Zell asked.

Shinra smiled again with a look that screamed to Squall once more that something was wrong. _Oh god...here it is again_. "We uh...don't know that yet." Shinra said, "Now enough talk, let's go!"

Shinra moved and spoke in a manner that made it obvious he was embarrassed and just trying to move things along. As they watch, Shinra closed his eyes and waved his hands in front of him. They all gazed in awe as the world around them began to dissolve, almost as if some thick fog was rolling in. As the world around them dissapeared, another one began to appear. The Garden they were in, a tidy, top of the line, organized place, gave way to something completely different. This Garden was much more run down. It was hardly unsanitary, but it didn't seem to be kept up either. The place clearly served it's function, but it seemed that no effort was put into keeping it in tact. Cracks lined walls, windows were dirty enough to block out sunlight, and the entire area seemed to have a sort of gloom about it.

Shinra opened his eyes as the they fully settled into the world.

"Welcome." He said, "To the sixteenth world. Welcome to your future."


	5. Chapter 5- The Not So Great Escape

**Chapter 5- The Not So Great Escape**

 **Going back to the future now, since Ritsu and Arisa are gonna play just as big of a part here as Squall, so I really want you guys to get a feel for who they are, and what their life is like. Not to mention this is a VERY important chapter that's going to mean A LOT later down the line, but you'll see! :)**

Ritsu held out in FATE once more for another whole school year. This time was different than the rest though. In the past few months he had grown very close to this new girl he had met, Arisa. Her companionship helped keep Ritsu going, and he had the same effect on her. The first few months started out simple enough, they went through the torture and exhaustion that was everywhere in FATE, nothing special. As Arisa and Ritsu continued to support each other however, something else developed...

 **Two Months Into FATE**

"Arisa! Wait up!" Ritsu yelled out as he ran after her. Ritsu and Arisa had skipped one of their "classes" after she had convinced him to go somewhere with her instead. As they were walking down the hall, Arisa challenged Ritsu to a race and ran off before Ritsu could even respond.Now, Arisa was a decent way ahead of him and he was running to catch up with her. He had no idea where she was trying to take him, but anywhere was better than the torturous regiments in FATE, so it's not like he was arguing.

"Dammit Arisa!" Ritsu yelled as he ran. _Sheesh, has she always been so god damn fast!?_

Arisa led Ritsu down hall after hall and up stairway after stairway until she finally burst through a door. Ritsu ran through it as well to find himself outside. Now he knew why she brought him here. They were on the roof, and it was later in the day so the sun was setting. It was an amazing sight. The sun was setting directly in front of him, but that wasn't the only part that emanated awesome beauty. Arisa stood in front of him so that the light surrounded her, casting a shadow back towards where he was standing. He blushed as he witnessed the bright orange, yellow, and red lights of the sunset envelop her almost as if it were stage lighting. She turned to him and smiled.

"This is where I always go...I wanted to show it to you." Arisa said softly. She proceeded to sit on the edge of the roof, letting her legs dangle over the side. Ritsu followed suit and sat next to her, watching the sunset.

"Yea...I always knew how to get up here, but I've never done it during the sunset. I never realized just how pretty it was from here." Ritsu said.

Arisa nodded, "I know right? It's almost like some sort of sign..."

Ritsu looked at her in confusion, "Sign?" he asked. Arisa chuckled a bit and nodded again. Ritsu was still confused.

"Like some sort of sign that the world's not over yet." Arisa continued. "I mean, no matter how terrible this world gets, you can still find beauty in it somewhere."

Ritsu looked over a Arisa, the light still emanating off of her, making her seem to glow and glisten. "Yea...I'll say..." Ritsu muttered.

Arisa continued, "And the way I see it, if there's still something, _anything_ in the world that can make me feel like this, so warm and relaxed, and something that I can watch that still gives me hope, then I can't believe the world is all bad. And...I need to hold on to it as long as I can."

Ritsu listened to Arisa's words, making him think. _Hmm...hold on to it as long as I can...something that makes me feel warm and relaxed...and something that gives me hope..._

At that, Ritsu smiled as he realized something, "Arisa." he said. Arisa looked over at him. "You're right. And...I think I know what I need to hold on to."

Arisa looked confused and pondered what Ritsu meant. All became clear however, as Ritsu turned and leaned towards her. The next thing she felt was soft lips pressed against her own. She was a bit shocked at first, but it felt...right. Noticing Ritsu's eyes were shut, Arisa closed hers as well and kissed him back. Ritsu felt some sort of light tingling feeling in his chest that he had never felt before. _What is this feeling?_ He pondered.

As they kissed, the sun finished its retreat beyond the horizon, sending the last rays of flame colored lights across the sky, making the entire rooftop around them glisten and sparkle. Neither of them noticed, however. Ritsu and Arisa were far to busy acting on feelings they finally realized they had. The kiss lasted for several minutes, and by then they had pulled each other closer. Eventually though, they split apart, still pressing their head together.

"Arisa...I think I love you." Ritsu confessed to her quietly. Ritsu had never experienced love before, but he figured if all the movies were right, then this must be how it felt. Arisa smiled at him, her heart fluttering in her chest.

"Heh...well I _know_ I love you..." She said back. Arisa took Ritsu's hand and interlocked their fingers. They sat together for a while longer, unwilling to let the other go just yet, especially since it would only be in order to go back to being tortured.

 **Seven Months Into FATE**

Ritsu and Arisa continued pushing through FATE, serving as each other's rays of hope the entire year so far. Each day between "classes" and after the day was over, they met up with each other. Love was a difficult thing to have in FATE, but for them it became almost necessary. Whereas Ritsu may have been in FATE multiple times before, he had never been happy there. Arisa didn't just make FATE bearable, she made things better, and even happy. It was Arisa's first time in FATE. She was strong, and always had been. She had a powerful will, and was much like Ritsu in the sense that she was never one to just sit by and let things happen. She rebelled and mouthed off to those in positions of authority that abused it. She never cried, she never lost hope, and she never gave up fighting. Even so, FATE would have been more than she had ever handled before, and still was to some degree, but Ritsu gave her the strength she needed to carry on.

The year's end was slowly approaching, only a couple more months away. Ritsu and Arisa were looking forward to finally getting out of FATE and going back to Balamb Garden, where both of them were from. Garden wasn't a great place, but it was at least better than FATE. Ritsu had concerns, due to Atlow being there, but the thought of Arisa being there as well kept his spirits high. At FATE, students were given progress reports, which served almost like grades as it showed whether or not they were on track towards graduating and being sent back to a Garden.

Today was the day they were receiving this progress reports. Ritsu's was perfect, as usual. He knew he'd manage, he always did. Ritsu knew he was capable. Satisfied with this knowledge, Ritsu finished his FATE course, a rigorous obtsacle course, and immediately ran off to find Arisa. They had agreed to meet on the roof again.

Ritsu happily barged through the door outside to the rooftop. _There she is._ Arisa sat on the edge as she usually did. Whenever he met up with her up there, she was always happily leaning back staring at the sky, kicking her legs, and smiling. He loved her smile. She often had a scowl plastered on her face, as she hated the instructors at FATE. But Ritsu had a habit of wiping that scowl away and making her smile. Maybe it was because of that, the fact that she didn't smile a lot but he knew how to bring it out, that made him love it so much.

Ritsu eagerly began walking towards her, but as he did he noticed something wasn't right. She wasn't happily kicking her legs and looking at the sky. She didn't even turn to look at him when he came through the door. Ritsu ran over to the edge and sat. He looked at her in confusion and spoke.

"Arisa, is something wrong?" Ritsu asked with concern in his voice. Arisa said nothing. She simply threw a folded piece of paper down on Ritsu's lap. _A progress report?_ Ritsu opened up the paper and read it. Ritsu's eyes widened in terror. Every year in FATE, the top students were sent to Garden, but FATE also had plans for the bottom students as well. In the world they lived in, every single person in the world was required to be at the same power level. The bottom 10% students weren't to simply go through another year of FATE. They were considered hopeless and were to be "disposed of" by the year's end. Ritsu's heart sank into his stomach and he felt suddenly very cold. Time seemed to almost stop.

"Arisa...they're going to kill you..." Ritsu muttered.

"I know, dammit!" Arisa shouted. After everything they had been through together was this to be how it ended? Ritsu loved Arisa. He didn't want anything to happen to her. Being in FATE was bad enough, and now she might even die? _I can't let that happen..._

"Arisa." Ritsu started, "I won't let them kill you."

"How? Ritsu you can't stop them. FATE is too powerful..." Arisa responded quietly. Ritsu immediately shook his head and took her hands in his.

"Arisa, I promise you, I will not let them kill you, no matter what. Just trust me." Ritsu said with a stern and absolute confidence. He loved her too much. He had never met someone that brought quite so much light and hope into his life. Arisa didn't know what to think. She loved him dearly, but realistically what could Ritsu really do? If FATE was stoppable, someone would have done it by now. And yet...she felt compelled to believe Ritsu. There was no evidence that he could find a way to save her, but for some reason she trusted him to do so.

"Okay." She responded. "I trust you, Ritsu."

Ritsu smiled and kissed her. The two then spent the rest of their time together that day on the roof watching the sunset, something they had been doing almost every day for months now. Arisa was still worried of course, but she believed in Ritsu. Ritsu too was concerned, but he had decided that no matter what, he would save Arisa or die trying.

The next day, Arisa finished her courses late. She was supposed to meet Ritsu that evening, but that unfortunately became impossible due to the lateness. Exhausted and sore, Arisa went back to her assigned room for the night. As per the sort of establishment that FATE was, the rooms weren't exactly high quality. It was cold, and the walls were cracked and hardly insulated, so the harsh winter months were difficult to get through. However, at the very least, it was a time for Arisa to finally get what little rest she was allowed. She sat on the shabby bed she had in there and sighed.

"Only a couple months left to live..." She muttered. At that she heard a voice from behind her.

"Lotta faith you have in me!" The voice said. As far as Arisa knew, she was alone in her room, so the sudden sound of another voice startled her so much that she swung her fist at it out of reflex. Her punch found it's mark, and it was none other than Ritsu, now being knocked clear to the ground. Arisa gasped and ran over to where he now laid holding his face.

"Oh my god, Ritsu! I'm so sorry!" She said apologetically.

"Jesus, Arisa! You punch harder than some of the FATE instructors! Oww!" Ritsu yelled. As Ritsu rolled around on the floor rubbing his cheek, he heard a small noise. He looked towards it to see that it was Arisa giggling at him.

"Hey! It's not funny!" Ritsu yelled.

"How is it not funny!? You dumbass!" Arisa teased as she laughed harder. Ritsu pouted a bit, an act that only brought more laughter from his girlfriend.

"Arisa, stop laughing!" Ritsu shouted.

"Stop making me!" Arisa replied as she continued laughing. Eventually Arisa finally caught her breath. She then leaned over and kissed Ritsu where she had hit him.

"Um...I'm sorry?" Arisa said smiling.

Ritsu rubbed his cheek again, "You'd better be..." He muttered. Arisa helped Ritsu back up and onto her bed.

"Now what are you doing in here waiting for me? It's past curfew, if anyone sees you they might hurt you!" Arisa said with concern. Ritsu nodded and took her hand.

"I know. But that's fine, they won't find me...or you." He said. Arisa gave him a look of confusion. Ritsu jumped up off the bed. He walked over to the door and poked his head out, checking the halls for anyone walking by. _Nothing. Good._ Ritsu quickly closed the door and walked back to the bed.

"C'mon Arisa. We're leaving." Ritsu said as he held his hand out towards her. Arisa's look of confusion turned to one of shock and worry.

"What!? Ritsu what do you mean, we're leaving!?" She asked loudly and was immediately shushed by Ritsu, who then proceeded to check the halls once more. As he finished checking he spoke once more.

"I mean we're escaping FATE. Don't worry, I've done it before, I know how to do it." He said reassuringly. Arisa's look of worry stayed on her face as she remained unconvinced.

"Ritsu no! It's too dangerous! What if we get caught!?" Arisa said, now frantic and panicking. Ritsu simply sighed and grabbed her by the hand, lifting her off the bed and pulling her close to him so he could wrap his arms around her. Arisa turned pink at this action, and even pinker when Ritsu's lips met hers in a kiss.

Ritsu then broke the kiss and spoke, "Arisa, I love you. You have to trust me...please. I'm going to get you out of here so they can never hurt you again." He said. He really did have a way of convincing her, didn't he...

Arisa sighed and finally nodded, "Alright, fine. If you say so. Just be careful, alright?" She said to him. Ritsu smiled a goofy grin.

"Ha! I'm never careful! We'll be fine though!" He said, then opened the door and ran, pulling her along by the hand. Arisa followed Ritsu down a hall to a dead end where the only thing there was a door with an "Employees Only" sign. To her surprise and shock, Ritsu flung that door open and continued pulling her along through it.

"Ritsu wait! We'll get caught in here!" She tried to whisper loudly to him. Ritsu simply shook his head and laughed a little.

"Relax Arisa! I know this place top to bottom and I know all of the employees' shifts and patrol patterns! After all, this is my fourth time here!" Ritsu said, almost sounding happy about it. Arisa knew it wasn't Ritsu's first time, sure, but four times!? She had no idea it had been that many! She pondered to herself how Ritsu was even still alive, let alone able to smile and laugh. She also wondered why Ritsu was sent back so many times. Graduating from FATE _should_ have meant he was good enough to stay in Garden...so why didn't he?

"Ritsu..." Arisa started to say, but was interrupted.

"Shush! We're almost there!" Ritsu said. As they neared the end of this mysterious hallway, Arisa noticed a door. Ritsu eventually stopped in front of it.

"I'll be right back, don't go anywhere, and don't touch the door!" Ritsu said. Arisa nodded, still worrying, mostly for Ritsu's safety rather than her own. Ritsu ran off down a different hallway. How he was able to memorize these employee hallways, she figured she'd never understand. Not only were the students not allowed in them, but they all looked the same. The same gray concrete walls, and white tile floors. She sat next to the door and waited for him. Time passed and seconds turned into minutes, which then turned into more minutes than she was comfortable with. She contemplated looking for him, but couldn't help but worry about whether that would ruin his plan or not. As she sat in a panic, her worries heightened when the lights suddenly shut off. She gasped and looked around her frantically. It was pitch black now.

Arisa stood back up and tried desperately to look around her. Far too worried for Ritsu's safety, she shouted his name, "Ritsu!?" She shouted down the halls. She then heard footsteps coming down the hall quickly. Could it have been FATE instructors? Could it have been Ritsu? Scared and confused, Arisa tucked herself tightly into the corner by the door, praying the darkness would shield her presence if it was anyone but her beloved. The footsteps grew louder, closer, coming straight towards her. She closed her eyes and braced herself as the footsteps led straight up to her. At that, she felt no pain and heard no yelling, but rather felt a soft, warm hand grab her own.

"Ritsu!?" Arisa called out. She was then met with lips to her own. That feeling she knew all to well. She immediately pulled him close, deepening the kiss and hugging him. As they pulled apart she heard Ritsu laugh a little.

"What's so funny?" Arisa asked with mild annoyance.

"Were you worried?" Ritsu asked.

Arisa grew more annoyed, "So what if I was!? Why the heck is that so funny!?" She was met with another small laugh.

"Relax Arisa, I won't ever just leave you unless I know for sure I'll be coming back to you, that I promise." Ritsu said, his words calming and comforting Arisa.

"Now come on!" Ritsu said as he tugged her once more by the hand, through the door she was sitting next to, which led them outside into a FATE facility courtyard. The courtyard was covered in a blanket of smooth whit snow, which was still pouring out of the sky so thick it was difficult to see past. The snow itself glistened in the moonlight, and the air was cold, almost painfully so.

"Ritsu," Arisa started, "Was that you? Did you somehow shut the power off?"

Ritsu nodded and smiled at her.

"How?" She asked and was met with an even bigger smile.

"Please, with how often Atlow loves to send me here, I've pretty much got this whole building's blueprints sitting in my head. And that includes where the power generators are kept! Besides we couldn't get through that door with the power on. It's usually electronically locked and only a FATE instructor ID can get someone through." Ritsu explained, and then smirked, "Unless the power's off."

Arisa was beginning to see why Ritsu chose that door. Any door that a student was allowed through was heavily guarded 24/7. But an employee door that requires ID? That wouldn't need guards. She couldn't believe that Ritsu had really planned this all out. It was smart, brilliant even. She always knew Ritsu was far more intelligent then he let on, but this...this was genius. He knew exactly where to go, exactly what time, and exactly what to do, and so far it was going off without a hitch, not a single FATE employee to be seen!

"Ritsu, this is amazing." Arisa said.

"Heh! I know I am!" Ritsu said in a cocky attitude.

Arisa shook her head at that, "How did you even find me after it got so dark?" She then asked, recalling how he instantly found her.

Ritsu looked back and smiled at her. What he said next made her heart melt.

"Because, Arisa, you're my brightest light. I'll find you wherever you are, even through the blackest of darkness." Yup, that was officially it, Arisa wanted to marry this boy.

The two continued running towards their next obstacle: a twenty foot tall sturdy fence with electrified barbed wire at the top. Thanks to Ritsu's plan of turning the power off, the electricity wasn't coursing through the wire, but the wire itself still posed a problem.

As they ran towards the fence, they began hearing the sounds of those at FATE realizing they were escaping and beginning to come after them. Arisa looked at Ritsu for answers, but Ritsu's eyes were fixed on the fence. _If I can just get her over that damn fence, she's home free. Come on Ritsu, run!_

The two of them finally reached the fence. Ritsu immediately began climbing. Arisa simply stood and stared in disbelief.

"Ritsu! What about the barbed wire!?" She yelled up to him. Ritsu looked down, noticing Arisa hadn't started climbing yet. He had no plan for the barbed wire whatsoever. It was gonna hurt, no two ways about it, but it was nothing compared to what they went through at FATE. Ritsu simply beckoned to her, motioning for her to follow him.

"Don't worry about the wire, I've got a plan for that too! Just climb!" He yelled frantically. Ritsu had already climbed a decent way up, and was high enough to see further along the FATE facility. There was an enormous group headed their way. _Shit, shit, shit! They found us!_ Ritsu looked down, seeing Arisa climbing slowly towards his position.

"Arisa, move! They're coming!" He yelled. If they were caught, then that was it. They were as good as dead. Anyone that couldn't manage to be on the same power level as everyone else was killed. People that attempted to escape from FATE were treated the same way. There was no doubt that should they be caught, they'd be dead my morning. Arisa wasn't climbing fast enough. At this rate, there's no way they wouldn't be caught. Ritsu had to do something, and he had to do something fast. As the group of people from FATE approached, Ritsu cursed his luck. _Guess this is it, I have no choice. I won't let these bastards hurt Arisa, even if I have to expose myself._

Arisa climbed as fast as her body would carry her, occasionally slipping on the frozen metal and almost losing her grip entirely. She wondered how Ritsu was so damn good at this. Had he done this before? After all, he did mention he had escaped FATE before... Her thought process was interrupted however, as she heard dozens of angry voices coming towards them. She looked back to see a small army of FATE instructors armed to the teeth. Fear stabbed her in the heart like a knife. She looked up at Ritsu in desperation. The moonlight was bright above Ritsu, and almost blinded her, but she saw what he did clearly. Ritsu held his hand out towards the militia, and there was a faint glow in his palm. Arisa then looked towards their enemies. As soon as Ritsu extended his glowing hand, a faint glint flashed through the air in front of their pursuers. That glint then changed into a massive transparent wall in front of them, and one that many clearly hadn't noticed and slammed into. A magic barrier.

"Magic..." Arisa muttered. Her eyes went wide and a tear fell from her eye. She looked up at Ritsu, and screamed at him. "Ritsu, no! Why would you do that!? Now they know!"

Ritsu simply smiled once more. "Come on, Arisa, we gotta get out of here." He said calmly. Arisa wiped her eye and climbed. Arisa was now distraught and filled with fear. Ritsu had just signed his death warrant. People with a talent for magic were hunted down and killed mercilessly as if they were witches in Salem. If there was a single kind of person more doomed than someone sent to FATE, it was someone that could utilize magic. Ritsu was that kind of person, and everyone at FATE now knew it. Ritsu would never be able to show his face in society again, for if he did, he would be executed on sight. Arisa couldn't believe this was happening, and she didn't want that for him.

Ritsu sat near the top and waited for Arisa to make her way up there. She finally did, now panting and sweating.

"Okay, so what's your plan?" She asked him. Ritsu simply smiled.

"This. I'm sorry Arisa." He said. He then proceeded to push her over the edge of the wire, sending her toppling over the top, and rending her skin deeply along the way. Arisa fell all the way to the other side. Thankfully, the snow was deep and it broke her fall, but her body was scratched to hell and bleeding nearly everywhere. Her left leg had the deepest wound, and she could no longer feel it. She struggled to breathe as the immense pain wracked her whole body. Instincitively, once she caught her breath she let out a bloodcurdling scream in agony.

Ritsu scraped himself thoroughly as well, but not as much as Arisa, and jumped down to her side, choking back tears at that heartwrenching sight, the girl he loved writhing in immense pain. He had no choice though. Even now, his magic barrier had faded completely and those from FATE reached the fence. He had only bought a few more precious seconds. There's no way she would have just gone along with his plan so quickly, and if she had taken even a second longer, they would have caught her, and that would have guarenteed her death. At least this way she would live, even if it was painful. Ritsu wasted no time and helped her to her feet, causing her to yell out in pain.

"I'm sorry, Arisa. I really am." Ritsu said with a sob, shaking with fear and worry. "I had no choice though, it was either that or..."

Arisa shook her head and interrupted him, "I know Ritsu...I know. Let's just go..." She said between gasps of breath. Standing hurt, walking hurt, talking hurt, even breathing hurt. But she would live. That's all that mattered really, and she realized that. They had escaped from FATE. No one could claim that before Ritsu, and now Arisa managed as well. She couldn't possibly convey her gratefullness to him.

The next few moments were quieter, and calmer. They walked straight into a nearby forest where they could hide from any pursuers from FATE. The intense cold numbed much of Arisa's body, dulling the pain. Her pink sweater and white skirt were in tatters and blood now covered most of her body, but she was still going. The only noises they heard then was their own heavy breathing, Arisa's being the heavier of the two, and the sound of their feet crunching in the snow.

"Ritsu..." Arisa began to say, "What are you going to do now? They know you have magic. At least if I keep myself hidden, they won't find me. But you...they'll hunt you to the ends of the earth. You'll have to run for the rest of your life..." Arisa began tearing up, "And it's all my fault...Ritsu you shouldn't have done that!"

Ritsu simply smiled, shaking his head, "Arisa...I don't regret it. I love you, and I did that so I could make sure you escaped. Now here we are, I'd say it worked! Wouldn't you?" Arisa simply sighed and turned her gaze away from him.

"You're such in idiot..." She muttered, making Ritsu chuckle a bit.

The two of them walked along for a couple hours, making their way a decent bit away from FATE.

"Ritsu, do you know where we're going?" Arisa asked. Ritsu nodded.

"Yea, back to Balamb Garden." He responded.

"Balamb Garden!? Ritsu we can't go there! They'll find you there!"

"Ha! What you don't think I have places to hide? Please, one of my friends will hide me while I make sure you're settled in and hidden. Then I'll go somewhere else." Ritsu's expression changed suddenly. He looked down at the ground as they walked and his face grew serious and stern.

"I...I know what I need to do now. Atlow...He needs to be stopped. He runs this whole god damn world. If he was stopped, someone else could take power and run things right. They could fix everything. And I have the perfect person in mind." Arisa looked on in disbelief. Something had changed in Ritsu. The boy that was satisfied simply rebelling against his superiors wasn't there anymore. Now, there was a different Ritsu. One who, rather than simply rebel, planned on defeating and overthrowing his superiors instead.

"That's a good plan, Ritsu. I want to help." Arisa said calmly, yet serenely. Ritsu looked at her in shock, clearly about to argue, but she placed a finger on his lips to stop him from speaking. "I know what you're gonna say. You don't want me to get involved, you don't me to get hurt, yadda yadda yadda. Well Ritsu, I don't care. Just like you did with your magic, I'm going to risk myself to help you. I love you after all." Arisa then simply smiled at Ritsu. _There really is no point in arguing with her, is there...god dammit Arisa why do you have to be so damn stubborn..._

As they continued, Ritsu and Arisa heard something. Barking. It was a decent ways away from them still, but no doubt it was coming in their direction.

"Shit! Guard hounds!? I didn't plan for them! Those are new!" Ritsu said as he picked up the pace, trudging through the deep snow as fast as he could, helping Arisa along the whole way. They moved as quickly as possible, darting past trees and through shrubbery. Nonetheless, the barking grew louder.

"Ritsu...they're getting closer!" Arisa said in a panic. Ritsu simply focused all his strength on moving forward as fast as he could go, and getting Arisa as far as he could take her. The barking grew louder and louder, and Ritsu was eventually able to hear the sounds of the hounds' bodies moving through the plants as well. _That's it. We're not getting away like this. Sorry Arisa..._

Everything stopped then, as Ritsu stopped moving. Arisa looked at him in a panic.

"Ritsu!? What are you doing!? They're gaining on us!" She asked frantically.

Ritsu said nothing. He leaned towards the ground, letting go of Arisa, and letting her drop softly into the snow. Arisa looked up at Ritsu and questioned him again.

"Ritsu, what the hell are you doing!?" She yelled out.

Ritsu took a step away from her in the opposite direction, towards the direction she heard the hounds coming from. "Arisa, gather your strength. If you keep going East from here, the direction we've been going, you'll arrive at a train station. They can take you to Balamb Garden. Once you're there, find someone named Cid. You'll find help there." Ritsu said as he began walking towards the direction of the hounds. Arisa realized what he was doing. He was going to distract the forces of FATE. He was going to fight them by himself!

"Ritsu, no! Please don't!" Arisa begged as she slowly brought herself to her feet, albeit barely able to stand. "You can't! They'll kill you!"

Ritsu turned towards Arisa and smiled the same goofy smile she had seen so many times. "I love you, Arisa." He said. At that, he made a full sprint into the darkness of the snowy forest.

"Ritsu! NOOOO!" Arisa screamed at the top of her lungs. She began forcing her legs to move her forward towards Ritsu's direction. Pain once again wracked her body, but she pushed through it. Her mind went completely blank and her body moved almost on its own. She began hearing the sound on gunfire and not just barking, but growling too. Ritsu had encountered the hounds. But...the sounds...they were growing quieter. Ritsu was leading them away from her! Arisa pushed forward as fast as her mangled legs would carry her, desperate to help Ritsu any way she could. As she did though, the sounds grew quieter and quieter until she could hear nothing at all. She continued by following footprints, but those too were slowly fading from view as the snow came piling down. After an hour or so, Arisa no longer had a trail to follow. They had taken multiple turns on their way away from FATE, there was no way she could find him now.

For the first time in her life, Arisa lost hope. She collapsed to her knees, sitting in the snow, and sobbed deeply.

"Ritsu...god damn you...god damn you!" She wailed as she cried. He was as good as dead. As she thought of him, memories of their time together flowed into her mind. She thought of when they first met. She thought of the days they spet watching the sunset from the roof. And then she thought of something else.

"Wait..." She muttered to herself. Ritsu's words echoed in her mind over and over again.

"I won't ever just leave you...unless I know for sure I'll be coming back to you..." She recited, "You're my brightest light...I'll find you wherever you are, even through the blackest of darkness..." Arisa slowly stood once more. Ritsu's words renewed her hope once more. "You promised me, Ritsu. You'd better not break it!" She shouted into the darkness. At that, Arisa slowly began trecking through the snow in the direction they had been going before.

She walked for some time, wondering if and when she might see Ritsu again. If he kept his promise, if he would indeed find her and come back to her, he would expect to find her in Balamb Garden. So that's where she would head, no matter how long it took, and no matter what hardships she may face on the way there. She suddenly heard rustling in the bushes. Had she spoken too soon? She remained vigilant and looked around her.

Arisa awaited whatever fate had in store for her now, ready to face it full on. She heard a bark. A guard hound! One was still after her, and had caught up with her. She heard a sound from behind her and turned to face it. Out of the darkness it leaped at her, jaws wide open, and razor sharp shining in the moonlight. This was it. This was how she was going to die.


End file.
